


Last Words

by etherealciel



Series: Thing Called Love [5]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 05:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6226348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealciel/pseuds/etherealciel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before she goes, Dick hears her last words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Words

**Author's Note:**

> just a repost. decided make this a series post soooo yeah~

Nightwing has never felt this much panic surging throughout his body before. He was trained by the best and by the best he meant Batman had taught never to show emotions during a dire moment. But tonight, he wasn't doing his best.

He ran as fast as he could, his stomps echoing down the empty street. The air feels chillier than before and the subtle gray clouds looming over Gotham City once again. A storm was brewing.

The feeling in his guts was telling him that something went bad and he couldn't shake off the bad feeling. He reached for his communicator on his right ear and turned it on.

"Batgirl—"

"Nightwing, you're about one mile far from Artemis's last signal. Batman and Robin should meet you up ETA: five minutes."

"Thanks. Keep me informed if anything happens."

"Will do. Please find her, Dick."

"I promise."

And that gut feeling was back, telling him that he shouldn't make any empty promises this time. He ignored it as he sprinted even faster than before as he almost neared the warehouse where Artemis was last seen.

He arrived at the warehouse, blindly looking around for his missing blonde and he swore loudly. Please, be safe, 'Mis. He swiftly patrolled around the warehouse, inside and out only to find it empty.

Nightwing sighed; frustrated that Artemis had turned off her signal and her communicator. What made her turned off all of those devices?

"Nightwing! I found a glimpse of Artemis entering Warehouse 78; three miles down from your location."

"Copy that. I'll head to her location."

And he shuts closed his communicator and once again found himself running again. Somehow, the longer he ran, the longer the road seemed longer to him. The thought of something happening to Artemis was overwhelming him and interrupting his train of thoughts.

He never felt so distraught before in his life.

"Nightwing! Get in!"

His head whirled to his left; his eyes landed on the Batmobile revealing Batman and Robin. He felt relieved to find his family in his rescue and he hastily sat in the back. In full turbo speed of the Batmobile, they arrived no later than five minutes at Warehouse 78.

He jumped out quickly and sprinted towards the door. He felt so far from the door and yet he was so close that he almost hit the door when it sprang opened revealing his missing archer.

"Artemis!" He shouts as he catches her before hitting the ground.

"Nig-Night…wing."

Nightwing gazed at his archer horrified at the wounds he was seeing and his mind was too rattled to do anything. He was too horrified to move an inch. He felt an extra weight on his shoulder.

"Robin, help Nightwing patch Artemis up and get her back to the cave ASAP. I'll handle things from here." Batman ordered, before going inside the warehouse.

He felt himself nod numbly, his body felt numb too. His eyes were terrified at the sight; the wounds on her body were too deep that he could almost see the insides.

"Grayson, snap out of it!" Robin reprimanded. "Put pressure on her wound and let's go. The faster we get out of here, the faster we can save her life."

Nightwing did what he ordered and quickly ran to the Batmobile and set it on autopilot back to the cave. He watched helplessly as his little brother did everything he could to stop the bleeding seeping out. He knew that Damian had always looked up to her; she is what inspired him to be a Robin.

The petrified screamed awoke him from his thoughts as he watched Robin and Alfred take Artemis to the gurney and Batgirl's appalled face as she saw her best friends current condition.

He took off his mask and set it aside on the nearest table and tried his best to help Alfred to stabilize the blonde archer. Even with their current best healers, the wound was too deep and Dick shuts his electric blues from letting his tears fall. Artemis was too damaged on the inside. The bad feeling; the dreaded feeling he's been feeling all morning long, he knew he should've coerced Artemis just to stay home where she can be safe.

The small spluttering and the soft voice calling out his name; the familiar touch on his hand, he opened his orbs meeting her soft gray pearls. He took her warm hand and squeezed it tightly "Artemis, you're going to be ok. Alfred is calling Leslie Thompson right now. She's going to be here in a few minutes and she's going to save you and—"

Dick stopped rambling when he felt her hand caressing his cheek. This time, he didn't hold back the tears and he knew that look on her face. "Please, don't leave me, 'Mis. Not like this. What happen to the whole growing up old together?"

Artemis coughed, blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth. A small grin formed on her lips. "You were always so cheesy about those things, Dick."

"'Mis!"

"I'm sorry, Dick. I guess I drew the short straw this time. I really… thought I could take on my—on Sportsmaster alone."

"Dammit, 'Mis, why didn't you radio for back-up?"

"Apparently, I'm allergic to it." A soft chuckle escaped her lips before curling into a coughing fit. "Dick… just…"

His hands tighten on her hand, knowing the dreaded thought of his archer was about to come true. No. No. No. She couldn't leave him like this! "Artemis, please, just hold on for a few more minutes."

"I—I don—don' think I can." The warmth was slowly leaving her body and he could feel it and he only held on tighter. Tighter from letting her go. "Richard, just… know that thank you for making me love you so much."

The heart monitor flat lined. Thompson finally arrived only arriving a few seconds late, but that didn't stop her from trying to recuperating her heart once more. He couldn't stop screaming. And finally,

"Time of death 5:38 AM."

.

It felt hours ago since she died on the table, but it only was an hour has passed when he finally came out of the cave. He could still hear her last words echoing in his head. Batman came in after ten minutes she died and he expressed his condolences as did the rest of people back in the cave.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard familiar voices racing down the stairs and finally engulfed him into a hug.

"Daddy! Daddy! You're finally home!" His eight year old daughter, Athena yelled enthusiastically. "Can we go to Uncle Roy's house to see Lian?"

Dick smiled warmly at his daughter and ruffled her raven hair. "Sure thing, baby. Maybe after daddy get some sleep."

There was tug on his sleeve and he looked down on his five year old son, Jason. He named him after his late brother who died during a mission with his team at the Middle East. Even so, that's something he couldn't let go and soon after his baby son was born, Artemis had let him name him, Jason.

"Daddy, where's mommy?"

All the memories came crushing down on him; his last few moments with his wife. Her glittering soft pearl grays slowly closing and the last she saw was his face. And now he was staring at the very same pearl grays that Jason luckily inherited from his mother. Dick felt tears running down his cheeks once more. He kneels on the floor and engulfed his children in a tight hug, letting everything go.

His children didn't budge; somehow they knew something went wrong. He softly whispered the news of their mother to his kids and he paused and waited for his kids to soak up the news. It was only moments later his kids were a crying mess, crying for their late mom.

Dick takes his kids with him to his room— their room that Bruce provided them together when they got married and he had his kids wrapped under his arms on the bed. He felt his eldest wriggling out of his hold before jumping out of the bed and out of the room. A few minutes later, she came back with something in her hands.

"Jason and I made this for you and mommy."

And he takes the card, his eyes tearing up at the words, 'Happy 10th Anniversary!' Dick flipped through the card; tears formed in the corner of his eyes once he saw their wedding picture.

Today is their 10th Anniversary.

And Artemis Grayson wasn't here to celebrate it with him.


End file.
